Saint Dymphna’s Playbook

Here to fill the void in Catholic conversations about mental health.

About the show

A podcast about finding mental well-being as a Catholic with the help of community and the saints. Hosted by Tommy Tighe, a marriage and family therapist, husband, and father. In each episode Tommy addresses different mental health issues, introduces listeners to a saint who is relevant to mental health and wellness, and responds to questions from Twitter followers.

Episodes

  • 18: Caregiver Burnout

    October 5th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  21 mins 28 secs
    borderline personality disorder, caregiver burnout, dissociative identity disorder, domestic violence, saint maria goretti, same-sex attraction

    Tommy talks about caregiver burnout and explores having same-sex attractions while staying faithfully Catholic, introduces Saint Maria Goretti, and answers listener questions about dissociative identity disorder, borderline personality disorder, and how to break the cycle of violence in our homes.

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    17: Sex Addiction

    September 28th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  20 mins 21 secs
    alcoholism, disability awareness, saint rita, sex addiction, therapy

    Tommy talks about disability awareness and how to help someone get into therapy, introduces Saint Rita, and answers listener questions about sex addiction, alcoholism, and not feeling good after a therapy session.

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    16: Panic After Confession

    September 21st, 2019  |  Season 1  |  16 mins 50 secs
    breakups, confession, deliverance, saint mary magdalene de pazzi

    Tommy talks about getting into the mental health field and where to start when returning to the Faith, introduces Saint Mary Magdalene de Pazzi, and answers listener questions about break ups, coping skills after confession, and deliverance ministries.

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    15: Gender Dysphoria

    September 14th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  22 mins 59 secs
    anxiety, co-parenting with an alcoholic, gender dysphoria, saint padre pio, scrupulosity

    Tommy talks about tarot cards and discusses integrating spirituality and counseling, shares a little from the life of Saint Padre Pio, and answers listener questions about co-parenting with an alcoholic, gender dysphoria, and the intersection of anxiety and scrupulosity.

  • 14: Homesick or Depressed?

    September 7th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  18 mins 14 secs
    depression, homesickness, pope francis, prayer, saint andrew kim taegon, spirituality, unhealthy relationships

    Tommy talks about the Pope's recent words about praying for others and discusses getting out of unhealthy relationships, introduces Saint Andrew Kim Taegon, and answers listener questions about integrating spirituality into one's family, the difference between being homesick and being depressed, and why God saves some people and not others.

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    13: Post-Birth PTSD

    August 31st, 2019  |  Season 1  |  20 mins 9 secs
    family life, post-birth ptsd, saint drogo, scrupulosity, social anxiety, traumatic birth

    Tommy talks about how to give 100% to your family after a long day at work and how to enforce boundaries, introduces Saint Drogo, and answers listener questions about scrupulosity, social anxiety, and experiencing PTSD after a traumatic birth.

  • 12: Navigating Toxic Relationships

    August 24th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  20 mins 32 secs
    early onset bipolar disorder, lgbtq community, saint hildegard of bingen, therapy, toxic parental relationships

    Tommy talks about trusting Jesus and being unmotivated to get into therapy, introduces Saint Hildegard of Bingen, and answers listener questions about welcoming the LGBTQ community, toxic relationships with our parents, and early-onset Bipolar Disorder.

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    11: Setting Boundaries

    August 17th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  19 mins 17 secs
    anti-depressants, anxiety, dementia, prayer, saint benedict dawa, setting boundaries, vanity

    Tommy talks about anxiety and vanity and anti-depressants and prayer, introduces Saint Benedict Dawa, and answers listener questions about different types of anxiety, aging vs. dementia, and setting boundaries.

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    10: Vocations and Mental Illness

    August 10th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  17 mins 33 secs
    eucharistic adoration, obedience, religious orders, saint dymphna, saint gemma

    Tommy talks about mass shootings and relaxing in adoration, introduces Saint Gemma, and answers listener questions about obedience in religious orders, mental health discrimination among religious orders, and Saint Dymphna being the patron of mental health.

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    9: Loving an Alcoholic

    August 3rd, 2019  |  Season 1  |  16 mins 50 secs
    alcoholism, community, dangers of psychology, our lady of lourdes

    Tommy talks about attention-seeking and the "dangers" of psychology, talks about Our Lady of Lourdes, and answers listener questions about the wounds of alcoholism, the need for trauma-informed priests, and the need for community.

  • 8: Scared to Get Pregnant

    July 27th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  20 mins 3 secs
    catholic church abuse scandals, fear of pregnancy, reliving past trauma, saint mark ji tianxiang, traumatic death

    Tommy talks about the Church abuse scandals and grieving a traumatic death, introduces Saint Mark Ji Tianxiang, and answers listener questions about therapists who blame the faith, feeling scared about getting pregnant, and reliving past trauma.

  • 7: Love Yourself Before You Date?

    July 20th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  21 mins 41 secs
    anxiety, borderline personality disorder, catholic dating, depression, parents with mental illness, saint therese of lisieux, therapy

    Tommy talks about Borderline Personality Disorder and what to do when your parents hate therapy, explores the life of Saint Therese of Lisieux, and answers listener questions about Catholic dating advice, having a parent with mental illness, and knowing when to get help for anxiety and depression.

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    6: Did God Give Me mental Illness?

    July 13th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  21 mins 19 secs
    anointing of the sick, church abuse scandals, generalized anxiety, mental illness recovery, saint jane frances de chantal

    Tommy talks about honoring our parents if our parents were unhealthy and the anointing of the sick, introduces Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, and answers listener questions about generalized anxiety and the Church abuse scandals, the ups and downs of recovery, and if mental illness is something God actively gave us.

  • 5: Grief and Grieving

    July 4th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  17 mins 20 secs
    bereavement, grief, ptsd, saint john of god

    Tommy talks about PTSD and the importance of work, introduces Saint John of God, and answers listener questions about helping a spouse with mental illness, showing compassion to a friend with mental illness, and grief and bereavement after the death of a loved one.

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    4: Scrupulosity

    June 29th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  18 mins 49 secs
    add, anxiety, codependency, saint christina the astonishing, scrupulosity

    Tommy talks about receiving a diagnosis and battling scrupulosity, introduces Saint Christina the Astonishing, and answers listener questions about anxiety vs. a lack of trust in God, how to engage in Scripture when you have ADD, and the line between codependency and sacrificial love.

  • 3: Self-Harm and Culpability

    June 22nd, 2019  |  Season 1  |  17 mins 57 secs
    chronic health conditions, mental health in catholic schools, saint benedict joseph labre, self-harm, vicarious trauma

    Tommy talks about vicarious trauma, and mental health in Catholic schools, introduces Saint Benedict Joseph Labre, and answers listener questions about being prayed over, the battle against chronic health conditions, and self-harm.